Crona's Journey (That's Dearly Needed)
by Sir Ben Evans IV of Kanto
Summary: Crona works to better himself through a bit of growing up right after the Asura Incident, and learns ALL about drama, prejudice, and critics, and falling in love as he hopes to re-enter the DWMA all while another threat looms over the students. (CroPa SoMa TruStar and Kiz later on!)
1. Prologue: Will Crona Stay in the DWMA?

**Heya! I'm back! XD What's this, you ask? A story! BTW: This chapter seems pretty sad at first, but this story is about Crona learning about how to grow up (kinda) and in order for Crona to be happy, he's gonna have to learn not to be depressed all the time! So don't worry, the story will get funny, happy, and all that jazz, but I figured this was most likely how Crona was feeling right after the season finale with Asura.**

**Let's see: I own a pile of snow? Check. A hunk of cheese? Check. A suit from Soul's Black room? Check. The Soul Eater franchise, books, or T.V. series? *looks around* Nope! Not that!**

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Crona's POV

"What're you groan'in about now, Wimp?!" Ragnarok whines as he materializes behind Crona'sback. He has sat in Mr. Corner in his room under the DWMA for a while now. The scary blue man was here about an hour ago or so, asking if Crona wanted something to eat for dinner.

"Nothing, Ragnarok. I'm fine." he mumbled though the pillow. _"Maybe if I just sit here, the world will pass me by, and I can forget about Lady Medusa, Miss Marie, and Professor Stein" _he thinks darkly.

Ragnarok huffed before he bonks Crona on the head, "It's gonna be fine, 'kay? It's not like they're gonna just kick ya out! They've just been busy!"

"Hmm?"

"I know that's what's bug'in you! I am you! I hear every wimpy thought that goes through that stupid head of yours!" he mutters as he tugs his meister's ear, as if that will help Crona hear him better.

"What I did was wrong, Ragnarok, and they all know that. Why should they help me when I hurt them last time they did?"

Just a week ago Maka, Kid, and Black*Star killed Asura, the Kishin. It didn't seem like it was just a week ago, though. But maybe that was because Crona has sat there ever since the incident because Lord Death had to decide what do with him after planning the renovations for Death City.

Maka came for the first time to see Crona and Ragnarok yesterday. She couldn't stay long because the scary blue man said so. If Crona tilted his head to look up, he can still see what's left of the bag of candy she gave Ragnarok.

"I'm fine. You don't need to worry." he repeated a bit more firmly. He could feel himself starting falling asleep into Mr. Pillow, and that's just fine because Mr. Corner will keep him safe.

* * *

"Crona? Are you still alive in there?" Crona could hear someone snicker outside his comfortably soft dream scape. _Alive, though? I'm not sure if 'alive' ever actually defined me_. He could almost laugh at his reasonably ironic though. Almost.

The voice opens the metal door slowly, and the figure of a large blue zombie walked into Crona's dark little room.

"Hey! Crona! It's okay! I'm not going to-" he starts, but looks down at Crona, who is cowering back into Mr. Corner. "Look, Crona. Lord Death's decided about what he needs to do with you two, and I know you're scared, but you need to calm down."

Crona doesn't say anything, like usual. What has Lord Death decided? Will he make Ragnarok and him leave the city? He certainly hopes not.

"Crona? He wants to see you now. He even made some tea for you two!" the scary blue man tries to get Crona out of Mr. Corner. _Maybe I should go, Lord Death is waiting after all. _Crona thought about leaving for a minute before deciding.

"O-Okay, S-Sir." Crona chattered nervously as he slowly stood up from the stone floor to put Mr. Pillow back on the bed. The scary blue man apparently wasn't expecting Crona say anything, because he just stands there with his big blue mouth open wide for the flies to come in.

"Sure! I mean, um... this way, Crona! Lord Death is waiting, you know." he mutters once Crona stood next to him with his head down, staring at his boots. He starts down the large hallway, and Crona follows suit.

* * *

Crona looked around the Death room with a slight curiosity, and Lord Death is standing in front of him with his back turned, gazing into his mirror even though there's nothing there but his own reflection. The scary blue man clears his throat, "Lord Death? I brought Crona here as you requested."

"Thank you, Sid!" he says without looking at his two visitors. _How did he know we're here? Oh, right. He's looking into a mirror,_ Crona wondered to himself. "Crona, I think it would be better if I just told you, and not 'beat around the bush.'"

"Y-Yes, S-Sir. I u-understand." Crona rubbed his arm shyly. Lord Death finally turned to look at Crona and the scary blue man. Crona couldn't tell if he's happy to see them or not with that mask of his._ Well he make me leave my friends? Are Maka and the others still my friends? Maka didn't stay very long when she came, and she was the only person to visit me_. Crona thought sadly.

"Crona? Calm down, not everything ends terribly. You did help Marie rescue Stein, and kill Medusa." he stops to look at me before continuing, "Unfortunately, the other students don't believe you should go unpunished and be automatically reentered in the DWMA."

_Here it is. He's going to tell me to leave and never come back. And he's right, because I should go since I've hurt so many people_. Crona looked back down at his boots in the fear of Lord Death's punishment.

The scary blue man begins talking for the first time since that bit when they entered the Death room, "We've decided that you should be slowly reintroduced into the school, and take a couple of trial missions by yourself and Ragnarok. Where is the little guy, anyway?"

"What do mean little you puny humans?!" Ragnarok appears on cue. He punches the scary blue man in the face before disappearing just to provoke him.

"I-I'm s-so s-sorry!" Crona stuttered and threw his arms over his head if the scary blue man wanted to hit Crona because of Ragnarok. The scary blue man takes a moment to regain his composure, then chuckles.

"It's fine, Crona." he laughs a bit more before Lord Death begins to speak again.

"Also, since the students don't exactly cope well with your presence, Maka and the others will have to wait a bit longer before we can let you out again. But!" he stops for effect while waving his large hands around, "You will get to see them again! All of them, and attend the school, too! It's just going to take as long as it takes for us to get you used to everyone again."

A few minutes go by without anyone speaking. Then what Lord Death said finally sinks into Crona's (according to Ragnarok) 'stupid' head. _We don't have to leave? Even if Lord Death says it could take years before I get to see them again, I'll do it. If I have to prove that Lady Medusa doesn't scare me anymore, I will._

"O-Okay, Sir!"Crona eventually says. Even though he said it quietly, his words seem too loud from the silence from before.

"Okay, then! You're dismissed then! The training will start tomorrow, so get plenty of rest tonight!" Lord Death claps his hands together before turning back to the mirror. "And Sid? Come back afterward, I need to discuss the details to you."

* * *

**Sid's POV**

* * *

"Yes, Lord Death, Sir? What did you want to talk to me about?" Sid nearly shouts. He had stood there for about five minutes without Lord Death saying anything.

"Oh! There you are, Sid! I was starting to wonder if you got lost!" Lord Death cheerfully announces.

"Eh? No, Sir. What did you want to see me for again?" Sid sweat-dropped.

"It's about Crona. I hope this works, because if it doesn't I'll have no choice but to force him to leave the city. The students just don't just feel 'uncomfortable' around Crona, they can't stand him." Lord Death softly gazed down toward Sid.

"Yeah, but Crona will learn to 'deal with it.' Eventually, at least. But we're not asking him to learn everything now. He'll just take things one step at a time."

"Most likely, but there's a chance he might go back to his old ways if we're not careful. And we're going to need his and Ragnarok's assistance eventually if we're to defeat the threat."

"Speaking of that, Lord Death." Sid pauses with caution before proceeding. "When are we going to tell the students about that?"

"Not for some time, Sid. The students just defeated Asura. We should give them time to just relax and enjoy being kids. The threat isn't even that bad."

"Yet." Sid supplies as he shuffles his feet.

"Yes, Sid. Yet."

* * *

**So? What'da think? Yeah, I'm aware Crona seems depressed right now, but he is! XD Like I said before, he'll get happy eventually. And I'll put other POV's from Maka and the gang later too!**

**REVIEW: Every time a reader reviews a story, an author has rainbows shoot out their butt! (I love that commercial! XD (Dang it! I don't own the commercial either!)) So REVIEW! You see the button down there! Press it, please! *does a rain dance, hoping it works for reviews***

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**Signing out**

**~Sir Ben Evans IV of Kanto**


	2. Chapter 1: Lessons? Are you sure?

**Chapter 2 completed!**

**Thanks to my reviewer! Here's the next chapter for those who're reading this (which isn't that many)**

**I sent an email to see if I could own the rights Soul Eater. They haven't answered back. So, I guess I don't own anything! (Maybe the plot line, though! I'm pretty sure I do XD)**

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**Crona's POV**

"Crona? Just pick the option you would rather eat." Professor Stein groans for the umpteenth time. Crona and Professor Stein had waited there in some random room under the school for about … um … some time. Maybe 10 minutes, maybe an hour, Crona couldn't tell.

"I-I'll h-have t-th-that one, S-Sir. Or m-maybe t-that one." Crona wondered quietly at the two breakfast foods in front of him. Why couldn't Professor Stein just hand him one? Crona wasn't even hungry.

_I thought I was supposed to go over lessons with the Professor, but I don't see what food has to do with anything. _Crona thought to himself... and Ragnarok of course could hear it too.

"You stupid wimp!" Ragnarok pounces out of Crona to grab the first of the two plates, an egg and cheese sandwich, but Professor Stein jerked the tray of food out of his reach. "Come on! Gimme some! At least I'll eat this trash!"

"No, Ragnarok. This is for Crona, not you. He is to decide what he wants." Professor Stein scolds and his glasses do that scary flashy thing.

"R-Ragnarok can p-pick, S-Sir. It's f-fine with me." Crona looked down from the food and mumbled.

"Eh? Ya hear that, Gramps?! He said it's fine! And what's it matter to you, anyway? It's all going to the same place!" Ragnarok tries to swat at the food in his obnoxiously high-pitched voice.

"Maybe. But Crona should decide, not you. He's the one who's eating. He's in charge." Professor Stein goes on with a slight laziness to his voice.

"Ha! That's a good, Gramps! Crona's in charge!" Ragnarok busts out laughing. Apparently Professor Stein didn't find the joke funny, because his glasses flash again.

"W-What is t-the point of this, Sir?" Crona stuttered. "I-It's just breakfast."

Crona assumed he had answered wrong, because Professor Stein stands up abruptly and nearly shouts "Do you want to be a student at the DWMA again or not?!" He just waits there for couple moments for something. _Maybe for me pick one? We've done that for 'some time.'_

"C-Can I g-go back to M-Mr. Corner, Sir? I-I don't know h-how to deal with this, and I-I'm n-not even that hungry."

Professor Stein doesn't answer the question. He just stalks out the room and slams the door. How am Crona supposed to get back to Mr. Corner now? He doesn't know the way back.

Ragnarok takes Professor Stein's leave as his cue to gobble down both plates of food. Crona doesn't bother to stop him, even if Ragnarok is being rude, because why should he?

* * *

"So after a 'nutritional' breakfast, we're going to go over some ways to deal with stress." Professor Stein came back about half an hour since he left to clean up, and now he wants to talk some more with the overly shy meister.

"O-Okay." Crona mumbled. Ragnarok decided to stay inside of Crona for the time being since there's no food present in this lesson.

"Before I begin, Crona. Do you know of any ways to relieve stress?"

"Um … M-Maka always s-said writing poetry helped." Crona looked around at the bundle of things Professor Stein brought, but there's no notebook paper in the bag. Did he answer wrong again?

"Well, yes. Writing is a way to help stress, but I was hoping you knew of- how do I put this lightly? Ah, yes, more male ways to do so." he says bluntly while he places the bag of things on top of the table.

Crona just sits there meekly. _More male? Doesn't everyone write poems to get their confusing feelings out? Don't Kid, Black*Star, and Soul write for fun? Are there other ways to 'relieve their stress?'_ he thinks quietly.

"No? Well, I guess one way is better than nothing" he mutters under his breath as to make sure Crona couldn't hear him.

Professor Stein grins suddenly like he did when he was insane. Though he's always been a bit insane. "Well! I guess it's my job to teach you a better way then!"

He pulls out some training weights like Black*Star uses for his extreme workouts. But these weights seem to look much lighter.

"The best way I think you should release your anger is though exercise. Lord Death said you need to work out some anyway, so this way we can kill two birds with one stone, right?"

Killing birds?! They were going to kill birds?! "I-I don't think I c-can deal with k-killing birds, Sir!" Crona began to panic as he quickly backed away from the innocent weights, which are apparently bird killers in disguise.

"What? No. Why would-?" He looks confused of a moment, then laughs a bit. How can he be so happy about killing helpless birds?!

"No, Crona. We're not going to actually kill birds. It's an expression. Which reminds me, Lord Death also wants you to learn a bit of slang to you don't misinterpret what others are saying to you. I can see why now." He chuckles a bit more before lifting the bird killing weights up for Crona to get a better look at them.

"'O-Oh. S-sorry, Sir." Crona quickly apologize, embarrassed. Then what are they going to do with the weights then?

"Here." Professor Stein places one weight in each of Crona's frail hands. They're heavier than they look. "Now lift them up."

Crona does so. It's hard. How does Black*Star do this every day? He lifts the bird killers about four times before asking, "L-Like this?"

Stein looks at Crona for a moment at Crona doing slightly correct, "Yeah, like that."

* * *

**Unknown POV**

* * *

Two large figures walk further through the endless desert plain. One small, fragile figure in a pointed hat seems to lead the other large, bulky, who has a chain of one of their ankles.

"So, what are we going to do now?" the large figure asks in a deep, gravely voice while dragging his feet through the sand.

"*Ribbit* I don't know. *Ribbit* Maybe go find someone else to work for. *Ribbit* I might go back to the council. *Ribbit*" the small figure answers in a girlish voice before stopping abruptly. "*Ribbit* Hey, you want to set up camp here? *Ribbit*?"

"Sure. I'll go get some firewood." the large figure starts to wander off, but the other stops them.

"*Ribbit* What firewood? *Ribbit* We're in the middle in the desert! *Ribbit*"

"Oh." the large figure scratches their head innocently and plunks down from where they were standing. They both look over toward the towering Death City looming in the distance. "You think we could go there?"

"*Ribbit* Maybe. I guess we'll just have to go there and find out. *Ribbit*"

* * *

**Can you guess who the two figures are? And they're not completely random! They'll get placed into the plot line somehow!**

**Huh, Crona seems like a wimp in this chapter. But I guess he is. For now, at least!**

**REVEW for the sake of the author. The author loves all their readers, but loves the readers that review the mostest.**

**Signing out**

**~Sir Ben Evans IV of Kanto**


	3. Chapter 2: A bowl of happy noodles!

**Chapter 3! Yeah-Woo! *Does the Black*Star run-dance thingy* Thanks to my reviewer! (what would I do without them? I don't know! :D)**

**Oh! BTW: this is the right chapter! My account at first loaded up the wrong one, and my reviewer caught it for me! So this is the right one!**

**I used to own a pile of snow. It melted. Like my dreams of owning of Soul Eater. They're nonexistent.**

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**Chapter 3 to those who are reading this!**

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**Crona's POV**

"Ugh! Just stay in there!" Professor Stein yells through the door to Crona's room before stomping away. He can yell all he wants, but he can't get Crona in Mr. Corner.

Crona just sits there for a moment in the pitch-black quiet of his room, but Ragnarok has to come out to ruin it. Like everything.

"Why can't you just do the stupid things he tells you to?! It'd make it easier! Then again, without you everything would be easier!" he tugs on his meister's pink hair. It hurts.

"It's hard, Ragnarok. Why can't he just accept that I don't want to do that stuff?" Crona mumbles through his pillow.

He has done the so-called 'lessons' for what he thought was two weeks now. It's like a routine now. And routines where good.

He would start the morning with the breakfast thing, but Professor Stein just leaves after a while when Crona didn't pick one, and Ragnarok would eat both of the plates of food.

Then Professor Stein would try to make Crona 'work out,' and now his body felt like lead. Maybe because of the black blood, but he knew that everything inside and outside him certainly hurts.

After exercising, Professor Stein, Crona, and Ragnarok do the exact process that they do with breakfast, but with different food for lunch.

Much later in the day, Professor Stein would come to teach Crona words the other students say, but it's all so confusing...

Then Professor Steins once more tries again with the food, but with 'dinner.' _Why can't he just leave me alone? Sometimes I think it'd be so much easier if Lord Death just told me to leave, _Crona thinks darkly before remembering he has friends like Maka.

Ragnarok, who has sat quietly on Crona's back the entire time, taking in something unknown to his meister. Did he say something to offend him?

"Heh! Look who's angry!" Ragnarok coos in mock affection, and messes with Crona's already messy hair.

"I'm not angry. This 'training' is just... just... stupid." he muffled his words through Mr. Pillow.

Ragnarok laughs loudly, and it echos back through the walls and everything down here. "Sure, you saber-toothed tiger, you!"

* * *

**Stein POV**

* * *

Stein walked at a fast, rapid pace into the Death room. Well, maybe more like storm. Maybe he needed to find his pack and just go outside to take a breather? Lord Death was apparently alone in his usual place with his mirror.

"Lord Death, Sir? May I speak with you?" Stein slowly tries to get his attention once he had fully entered the clearing.

"Yes, Stein-kun?" He turns from the mirror. He waits patiently for his former student go on.

"Well, with all due respect, Sir" Stein slowly turns the screw in his head before continuing. It helps clears his head just a bit. "Why am I teaching Crona, instead of my other students in class? This training isn't going to help him if he refuses to be helped!"

Lord Death doesn't seem fazed by Stein's small tirade, as if Lord Death had expected this. "Hmm? Oh, that! Well … he knows you, Stein. The way I see it, Crona could really use a mature male figure anyway, and 'tie some loose ends' by you teaching him. His mother wasn't the most nurturing person, you know."

Stein waits quietly for his superior to go on. There's no need to interrupt, even if he can get off the subject sometimes. It would be rude, and an angry Lord Death is something someone would only want to see once, if that.

"And besides! The other students have time off to recover from shock since of well, you know. All Crona really needs is time. We're not asking him to change everything about himself. Besides that it would be impossible, we just don't want a repeat of what happened."

"But what if it doesn't work? Medusa is still his mother, so he could choose to reconnect with the deadly aspect of himself again at any time."

"Maybe, Stein-kun, maybe. But if we can just get him to disconnect a bit from her and his old life, then we have a permanent ally and a good student. Which shouldn't be too hard right?"

"So just give him time? That's all to it?"

* * *

**Unknown POV**

* * *

Two figures slump to the pavement at the entry gate of Death City. The large figure is wearing an eye patch over one eye, and a large trench coat is covering a jail-bird pattern shirts and jeans. The smaller figure wears a frog themed outfit, and waves her hat in hope to fan herself.

"Finally! Took long enough!" the large figure pants. The earlier chain on his ankle is gone, but he is peculiarly barefoot. "Let's go grab something to eat! Maybe a T-bone steak, medium rare!"

"*Ribbit* What? No, Free! We came here to be 'civilized,' at least wait a bit before going off! *Ribbit*" the smaller figure scolds to the larger one, Free.

"Aw! Come one, Eruka! How's about a fly stew" Free tries to insist, but Eruka continues to fan herself sluggishly.

"*Ribbit* Later, Free! Later!" she slowly stands back up and walks down the street without waiting for her companion to follow her.

"H-Hey! Wait for me!" he jogs up to her, and waves his large hands in front of her face. "What about that nice café you told me about?! I want to be part of it!"

Eruka sighs quietly before looking up, "You want to own a café? With me? What happened to Mr. I'm Immortal? *Ribbit*"

Free turns his head away quickly, "It sounds nice! No fighting?! Free food? And I'm pretty sure I could do it with a friend!"

"Nice joke." Eruka sweat-drops. "I don't mind, it's just odd."

"What do you mean?"

"When I met you, *Ribbit* all you wanted to do was repay Medu- her, and then terrorize other witches again. *Ribbit*"

"Huh?" Free looks down for a second before looking back up. "W-Well, maybe my proprieties just changed a bit! So! When are we going to open up shop?!"

"*Ribbit* Free? We haven't even gotten a place to 'open up shop' at. *Ribbit*"

"Oh. Then soon?"

* * *

**Crona's POV**

* * *

Professor Stein just left quietly again after trying to give the ever insecure Crona dinner. He didn't seem nearly as angry as he did earlier in Crona's opinion. Crona wondered a bit about could've what happened? Did he write some poetry?

The food in front of Crona actually didn't look that bad. A bowl of noodles sits on his left, and a plate of sushi sits on his right. Just looking at it made his stomach growl, which is a weird feeling since he had never been hungry._ What would've brought on this new feeling? _ He thought to himself, or at least somewhat since Ragnarok is always there.

Ragnarok comes out for his routine feeding, "Yum! The real question Stein should be asking is which one first!"

He jumps for the food, but Crona jerks his weapon back, surprising both of the two.

"H-Hey! What gives?" he questions. He looks at Crona head to toe from his perch to figure out the unusual outburst of confidence.

"Umm..." Crona looked nervously at the food that had given him such trouble in the past. His stomach twists in pain at the steaming food, and he finally came to a decision. "T-That's mine, R-Ragnarok."

"W-Wah? Umm... Well, okay, Gutsy. But this isn't over!" he pops back inside of his meister. Gutsy? That doesn't make any sense. This is just food.

Crona takes the bowl of noodles and eat it quietly in the stillness of the room. It's really good. Once he finishes, he places the empty bowl back on the table and wipe his mouth with the napkin he had found under the plate of sushi.

_I guess I should just sit here then. Professor Stein will come back to show me back to the room and clean up, so it shouldn't be long. _he comes to conclude after putting the napkin in the empty bowl.

_What Maka and the others doing now? Do they know I'm here? Could Tsubaki make these noodles better?_ All kinds of questions fill his normally empty head, and it strangely doesn't bother him as much anymore.

"Crona? Are you ready to go back to your room?" Someone says as they slowly open the creaking door open, and Professor Stein comes in to survey Ragnarok's usual damage. "Hmm? Was he not that hungry today?"

"Huh? N-No, Sir. I ate the noodles, and they were quite good, Sir." Crona quietly speaks as he got up to walk over to the door. _Did Mr. Corner miss me? _He silently wonders.

"Y-You did?" Professor Stein gapes his mouth a bit before closing it quickly. Then he smiles to himself like he read a nice poem.

"W-W-What are you s-so happy a-about, S-Sir?"

Maybe Professor Stein couldn't hear Crona, because he doesn't answer. He picks up the empty bowl and plate of sushi and walks out the door for Crona to follow.

_Maybe Lord Death was right... "Just give him time," huh? Maybe I can do just that._ Stein thinks to himself as he leads Crona back to his room.

_I wonder how much more time Crona needs? Heh, probably not a lot at this rate..._

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**Aww... I like this chapter! It makes more sense! I hope it cleared some this up about Crona!**

**Who got Free and Eruka right?! *looks at nonexistent audience, and bugs chirp* No one? I thought I made them pretty obvious, but then again only one person is reviewing (to which whom I am greatly thankful for)**

**REVIEW! I want YOU to REVIEW! If you do, I'll do the world a huge favor and strangle Excalibur! *waves Excalibur plushie***

**Signing Out**

**~Sir Ben Evans IV of Kanto**


	4. Chapter 4: Litter is an OFFENSE!

**Hey! I'm back! Yea, my stupid teacher is making me write a five-page book report. And I ate some very spoiled cheese and got violently ill. But I'm fine now! smiles WAY too big***

***Looks at chapter* Nope! No fuzzy moments here in this chapter! (Like the last one with the noodles) Haha, you guys remember the "threat" from the first chapter? Well, keep it in mind while you read! XD**

**Disclaimer: noun; a disclaiming or renunciation, as of a claim, title, etc. *reads definition* So basically, this is saying I own nothing? Um... Well, sure. I guess I own nothing...**

* * *

**Crona's POV**

* * *

"Two lefts, then right. Two lefts, then right." Crona mumbles to himself as he stiffly makes his way down the hallway. "Two lefts, then right."

"Ya sure it wasn't two rights, and then left?" Ragnarok teases as he takes his place on his perch.

"Ragnarok! Don't say that! It's two lefts and then a right! We have to get it right! Professor Stein is counting on us!" Crona mumbles as he fumbles with the small white envelope he was to deliver to the scary blue man.

"Don't you mean we have to get it left?" Ragnarok snickers.

"What? No, Ragnarok! Stop trying to confuse me!" Crona 'scolds,' but the words come out pathetic, and only cause Ragnarok to laugh more wildly.

Professor Stein had asked the timid meister to deliver a note to 'Sid', the scary blue man, as part of becoming more familiar with people. Another week had passed from the noodle incident, and nothing major had happened in Crona's opinion. Food was food, and that's all to it.

"Ya know, it'd be a lot easier if you talk to people like to you talk to me, but you're too wimpy and stupid do that, huh?" Ragnarok teases as he lightly pulls on Crona's pink hair.

Ragnarok was becoming more... nice... to Crona and Professor Stein. Not everything he said was heart-warming poetry, but at least not every word that came out of his mouth was an insult. Ever since that first food incident that one night, Ragnarok seemed to back off a bit from tormenting his meister. It was _strange_. Crona couldn't figure out what had brought on Ragnarok's sudden slight change of heart.

"Um... R-Ragnarok?" Crona fumbles a bit more with the note.

"Wah do ya want now?" Ragnarok grumbles.

"Do we go right here, or left?"

"H-Hey! Thanks, Crona!" the scary blue man, Sid, yells down the hallway as Crona was walking as fast as his legs could carry him from the dangerous zombie.

Crona turns right to hide in a random hallway from Sid. Crona wedges himself into the opening made from the door hinge, and balls his frail hands into fists, secretly hoping that if the scary blue man was there, Crona could pretend he was Maka and punch Sid in the face like she did to Asura.

Crona held his breath, waiting for his untimely demise. But when no one came around the corner, he exhaled with relief.

"Seriously? What do you think-?" Ragnarok began, but stopped when he turned his head toward a nearby trash can besides the lockers. "Hey! What's that?!"

"Ragnarok, be quiet! Someone might hear us!" Crona hushes as he made his was to the filthy garbage can. "And there's nothing here but trash, Ragnarok!"

"Well, duh! I meant behind it!" Ragnarok shouts, completely ignoring his meister's commands. Crona moves the dirty object as quietly as he could, but the old trash can made a loud screeching noise as it moved.

"There's nothing here, Ragnarok!" Crona answered back irritably. _I bet Kid would have a heart attack just __looking__ at this thing!_ Crona thought to himself.

"Well, then! Whad'ya call that thing, then?!" Ragnarok shouts smugly as he points to an unknown... thing.

"Um... I don't know..." Crona slowly picks to object up, and analyzes it...err...somewhat.

The object was burnt to a crisp, and was completely black and disfigured. If Crona held up to the light, he could almost believe it looked like one of Lord Death's white masks that tourists buy when they visit Death City.

_That's it!_ Crona decided to himself. It was one of the masks! Crona wondered what could have happened to the piece that would burn it that badly. And why the person just left it by the trash can, and not in the trash can.

Crona shugged his shoulders, and tossed the burned mask into the trash can. The owner obviously didn't want it.

"Hey! What do ya think yer do'in?!" a loud, booming voice sounded from behind Crona in the hallway, and Crona tensed in apprehension and Ragnarok immediately re-entered Crona's blood.

Someone was running up to Crona. Crona waited there quietly with his back facing the trash can, trying not to make the person angrier.

Instead of stopping to yell, the person slammed Crona onto the lockers and turned the terrified meister around to see his attacker. The attacker wasn't Sid, as Crona figured at first, and was a random student at the DWMA.

The student had his left arm holding Crona in place, and his right forearm was drawn in a slick gray knife, poised on Crona's throat. The furious boy, as Crona presumed, had his oily raven black hair slicked back, and his brown eyes shook in rage. The boy wore a uniform much like Maka's, but instead of a skirt, he wore black slacks.

"I-I-I s-s-s-so s-s-sorry!" Crona stuttered, shaking miserably under the weapon's gaze. Somewhere in Crona, Ragnarok was yelling, trying to get Crona to defend himself.

"I'm gonna say this once, so ya betta hear meh good!" the boy snarled. The student looked a bit familiar, but Crona couldn't remember who this person was exactly. "I'd ought to get rid of ya, right here and now! Murderers aren't welcome in this city!"

"You do not touch my stuff! You got that?!" the boy looked pointedly at the burnt mask in the trash can and snarled again. "If anyth'in ought to be in the trash, it's you, 'kay?! Don't act like ya don't know ya started the madness nonsense! Lord Death might be real nice sometimes, but once ya get outta of that jail room, yer toast, ya got that?!"

The boy pushed himself from Crona, but kept his knife-arm pointed at Crona, "You outta know yer place, murderers like you shouldn't get second chances!"

And with that, the boy grabbed the burnt mask from the trash can and stalked out the hallway to leave. As the door creaked open, he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Ya just remember that, Murderer!"

Crona slumped to the floor as the boy's last line echoed through the school and in his own head.

_Maybe I should go back..._ Crona thought in shock as he slowly made his way back underground the DWMA. If only he hadn't had to deliver that note to the scary blue man...

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**Eruka & Free POV**

* * *

"*Ribbit* That's a stupid name, Free!" Eruka complained while she cleaned a large black counter top. They had finally gotten the little café on Washington Avenue, which had been her first choice. But Free being Free, wanted to look at EVERY option they could find before agreeing to the rent.

"And yours is any better?" Free glanced at the witch smugly from on of the many tables in the room where he was reading some hunting magazine. Once they picked out a name, they could open the next day. Of course if they could pick out a name.

"'Three Little Flies' is a great name! I don't see what's wrong with it!" Eruka scoffed. The two were standing on the ground level of the building where the customer would come in at. The floor above them was were their beds and such were located at.

"Oh, please! I don't think people want to eat flies!" Free glared at the cooking supplies behind counter, which didn't contain flies. Yet. Eruka would try to find some at some point, though.

"Maybe you're right," Eruka sweat-dropped. "But 'Meat Surprise' is not going to be the name! *Ribbit* It sounds disgusting!"

"Disgusting as eating flies?"

"*Ribbit*Flies taste amazing, thank you very much! You people just don't realize what you're missing out on! *Ribbit*" Eruka huffed. Free could be so difficult sometimes.

"Fine! But I want to just pick out a name! The sooner we have one, the sooner we can open!" Free growled underneath his breath. "So what else do you have in mind?"

"*Ribbit*" came his only response. When Free look up from his magazine, Eruka had turned her back to the ingredients and looked like she was counting them.

"Um... You're okay, right?"

"I know!" Eruka turned to face Free excitedly with sparkles dancing in her eyes. "*Ribbit* We can call it 'Freedom or Croak'!"

Free sweat-dropped and looked back at the magazine when he felt his face start to heat up. _Odd. Am I sick? Maybe I should ask Eruka to check my temperature later..._ "Um... Sure, I guess. At least it's better than 'Three Little Flies."

* * *

**Oh sweet cheese! Crona got attacked? Why? Heh, I'm kidding! There's a reason why he ALMOST got killed. But really he was in no danger since he could just pull out Ragnarok and fight the random dude.**

**Random dude will be back! XD Eventually... And he will have a name! He's pretty minor, but he got the plot rolling a bit more...**

**And yes! The mask means something symbolic! I'm not going to spoil anything, but I'll give you people a clue to a small part of it: What would it mean if death burned?**

**Hey! See the button down there? If you press it and give feedback, it makes a random person smile! XD**

**Laughing Out Loud (wickedly),**

**~Sir Ben Evans IV of Kanto**


	5. Chapter 5: Flies and Notes

**Okay! Let me just say I'm so, so, so, so, so, SO sorry! My computer broke, and it had all my work on it! I had to fix it myself before my parents found out, so here I am! *grins nervously***

**I would like to thank my guest reviewers and HSidney for giving me the confidence to speed write this chapter! Seriously, you people are amazing!**

**And to show just how sorry I am, I wrote this chapter TWICE as long as my average chapter is! Yeah!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: Apparently, I don't even own the computer that I'm typing this on (which is the computer that broke), so I'm PRETTY sure I don't own Soul Eater either. So yeah, I'm broke. Go me!**

* * *

**Professor Stein POV**

"Crona! You're going to have come out eventually whether you like it or not!" Stein **(Since this is the Professor's POV, we're just going to refer to him as Stein, but in other POV's it'll be ****probably Professor**** Stein, with the exception of people like Lord Death, Spirit, Sid, ect. I'm just a bit too lazy to type it all out)** shouted as he slammed the shaking door one last time with his foot, which probably wasn't helping Crona.

"Crona?" Stein whispered after taking a deep breath to calm himself as he turned the bolt/screw on his head as he thought to himself. What had happened? He told Crona to do something as simple as handing a note to Sid, and he bolts for his room and starts crying? What's wrong with him/her? Wait...Was Crona a boy or a girl? "Umm..."

"J-J-Just-t-t g-g-go a-away!" a sniffling voice whimpers from the other side of the door of Stein.

"Alright. Fine. If that's how you want to be then, I'll just be on my way" Stein spoke through the door, monotone. He turned on his heel to go find Sid. Maybe the zombie would know what happened. And maybe where Crona's health records were so Stein could finally figure out this new 'gender' issue.

Stein walked down the basement halls of the DWMA in a dull trance while contemplating to himself on rather random subjects that it would be best not to wonder about. Unknown to him, though, Sid was speed-walking with his great zombie might down the hall to find Stein and talk about the note from Crona.

"Do-todo!" Sid hummed to himself happily. "Dum-happy little zombie do dom dum!"

Now, much like Stein, Sid had no idea that right around the corner was the insane doctor/teacher he just happened to be searching for. So it was only natural for the two men to collide when they turned that corner.

"Omph! Hmm?" Stein mumbled to himself as he picked himself up, as did Sid. Had he run into another wall? He did tend to do that quite often. "Oh! Sid! I was just on my way to find you."

Sid raised his thick eyebrows in slight surprise, "Eh? Really? I was just wondering about this note: What do you mean exactly by it?"

"Just as it says. Why?"

"Um... Because... Well-" Sid stuttered as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly with one of his huge hands.

"Well what, Sid?" Stein interrupted impatiently. In his defense, Crona had been on his nerves lately with this whole 'project', so who could really blame him?

"It's says I need, and I quote, 'a dozen red roses, a human-sized black sack, and a box of tampo-'" Sid began, but Stein shoved a hand on Sid's mouth to interrupt Sid before he could finish. **(Can anyone guess what that last item was? If you can, good for you, you pervs! XD)**

"Erk! Um! That's Marie's shopping list! She wanted me to pick up a few things before I go back home!" Stein grabbed the note from Sid's hand and stuffed the embarrassing paper into his coat pocket.

"Umm... What does she need a 'human-sized black sack' for?"

"Eh? Where does it say that?" Stein quickly gazed over the list one last time before seeing that it does in fact say she wants a very large and specific type of bag and decided to burn the paper as soon as he got the chance.

"Well... Frankly, Sid? I don't know."

* * *

**Crona POV**

Crona sat silently in Mr. Corner, rocking himself back and forth as he tried to suffocate himself with his pillow. He had sat there since that-that-that- _stupid bully_ threatened him earlier. If Professor Stein thought he could _ever_ get Crona out of his comforting room, well, boy, was he wrong!

Not even Ragnarok had come out since they were walking down the halls earlier. Crona hoped he was alright. If Ragnarok was hurt, he would be too. And of course there was the fact Ragnarok was somewhat like an annoying older brother. The kind of brother that's attached to your very soul and you can't ever, ever, _ever_ get a break from, no matter what you're doing.

Besides, who was that person anyway? Crona knew him from somewhere, but couldn't put his finger on it. It obviously wasn't one of his friends. And it wasn't Ox, Harvard, Kim, or even Hero!

As Crona mentally listed every at the DWMA that he knew, he only became more and more stumped. And frustrated. Can't forget that.

Crona sighed. Maybe Ragnarok would know? Deciding to wait a bit more to see if his weapon would materialize, Crona stopped rocking back and forth and sat in Mr. Corner, and listening to the drips and drops of water that fell from the stone ceiling onto his cold floor.

As if on cue, Ragnarok came onto the forefront of Crona's mind from the deepest parts of what was left of Crona's insanity where he had hidden.

_"__Is that freaking twerp gone yet?"_ Ragnarok asked hesitantly.

The 'noise' startled Crona and he nearly jumped, but calmed down when he recognized the voice.

_"__Yes...Why? Are you afraid?"_ Crona thought to himself aka Ragnarok.

_"__What are you talking about?! Why would I be afraid of some little wimp?! I was just wonder'in if I need to rescue you, but I guess I shouldn't! Hmp!"_

_"__Do you know?"_

_"__Eh? Know what?"_ Ragnarok stopped his internal rage fit and 'sat' inside his meister waiting for an answer.

_"__Who that guy was. Who was he?"_

_"__Oh. Him? Nah, I don't know. But if I did, we'd already be out there beating him to a pulp!"_ Ragnarok shrugged off Crona's question before popping out of Crona to see his pathetic meister huddled in his stupid corner back in their room.

"Would you get up?! Sitting here not gonna do nothing! Sheesh!" Ragnarok smacked one of his small fists onto Crona's head and groaned.

But apparently Crona wasn't in the mood for getting up. Or talking either, since he remained head-down in his pillow and thought to himself.

_"__Why is that guy so angry at me?"_

"I thought I said I don't freaking know, you stupid brat!" Ragnarok yelled comically loud.

_"__Oh. I almost forgot you were there...almost."_

"Wha-How-Ya- ARGH!" Ragnarok stuttered in pure rage.

* * *

**Eruka POV**

"And just a pinch of this...And done!" Eruka smiled to herself as she made the finishing touches on a plate of samples.

Free was going to hand them outside give away the caramel candies she made to anyone who passed by! Sure, they weren't going to be official open until that Friday because she still had to sign a few more papers, but a little advertising never hurt anyone!

"Free! They're done! *Ribbit*" she shouted from behind the counter on the first floor. A few moments later, Free stumbled down the stairs from their living space.

"Coming!" Free, being as amazing as he is, missed the chair he nearly fell over in his rush to get down there... and instead slammed right into one of the tables he had spent oh-so-much time decorating and flipped over both himself and the table.

"Gah! *Ribbit* Is the table okay?!" Eruka rushed over to where Free had landed and pushed the table back up and moved it back where it had been.

"Oh, sure! It's fine, but what about me?!" Free fumed as he picked up the decorations and placed them on the table.

"Well, I figure you'd be okay. *Ribbit* I mean, you're immortal and everything." Eruka mused to herself as she made her way to the counter again and picked up the candies to give to Free.

"W-Well! It'd sure be nice if someone would ask once in a while!" Free snatched the platter and made his way to the door leading outside.

Just as he placed his hand on the door, Eruka asked, "Are you okay?"

"Huh?"

"You wanted me to ask. *Ribbit* So are you?"

"Uh...yeah. Thanks." He mumbled as he went out the door.

Eruka hummed to herself as she wiped off the counter and thought now that the loud noise (aka Free) was gone for the moment.

Strange. Eruka could have sworn she had seen Free _blush_. But her eyes must have played tricks on her. Free never blushed. Must have been the heat from outside or something.

Or maybe?...No, this was Free. Eruka would have to be insane to think anything like that. Maybe a he had a fever then? She would have to check later.

She stopped wiping the counter, which was now glistening from the amount of cleaner she had used. She pulled out some more papers that came from the bank when they bought the shop and began reading the top packet of papers. Just a few more to go!

As she read silently, she could hear some sort of commotion going on outside. Trusting that Free wasn't part of it yet, she kept reading.

A few more moments passed as she read and the fight outside slowly became louder and louder. Suddenly, someone yelled and the door to the shop busted open and she ducked behind the counter.

"ERUKA!" Free yelled as he slammed the door and locked it. Oh well. There went her luck that Free wouldn't get into the fight.

"*Ribbit* Y-Yes?" she slowly rose up from her hiding place and grinned nervously.

"What do you call these?!" he demanded as he angrily shoved the candies in Eruka's face.

"C-Caramel candies. Why? *Ribbit*" she asked curiously. Had the candies been so good that the customers started fighting with Free for them? No, there was still some left on the platter. In fact, only one had been taken away.

"Caramel candies you wish! Hah!" Free laughed angrily. What was wrong with her candy? She thought they tasted fine!

"What do you call this?!" Free pointed to one of the candies which had been strangely ripped opened.

Eruka huffed irritatedly. "*Ribbit* I told you! They're caramel candies!"

"Yeah right! There's freaking flies in these things!" Free growled as he tossed the remaining candies into the trash can.

"W-What?" Eruka stuttered. The fight outside was about something as silly as flies?

"There's _flies_ in those nasty things you call candy!"

"Oh!" Eruka sundenly grinned. "That's how there supposed to be! *Ribbit* The flies are not only delicious, but add protein!"

Free stood there for a couple of minutes before hesitantly asking, "You mean...you meant to put flies in the candy?"

"Yep!" Eruka smiled.

"Disgusting...just disgusting"

* * *

**And cut! Hopefully that wasn't so bad, right? **

**And I plan to update this story (and all of my stories) on every Wednesday! But in return for the longer updates, I'll try to write longer chapters, 'kay? See, I was finally planning out this story while my computer was broken and found out that this story is going to take FOREVER if the chapters stay short. So the chapters will probably be around this length or so.**

**And before anyone asks: Crona is male in this story. Just to make that clear...but only Crona, Ragnarok, and Maka know this for now. If you firmly believe Crona is female, that's alright! I don't mind or anything! I read stories all the time with female and male Crona! Just keep in mind Crona is supposed to be male in this story.**

**And you see that button down there? Press it and you'll make the author giggle! *giggles* And you don't even have to be a member to press it! So have at it! So FAV, FOLLOW, FEEDBACK! Yea!**

**P.S. Don't tell anyone I told you this, but a little birdie told me that the button down there has a crush on you! Yeah...I'll just let you two have some alone time for now *leaves room and dims lights on way out***

**Signing out**

**~Sir Ben Evans IV of Kanto**


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